88 doctors-in-training at The University of Queensland Medical School – Ochsner Health receive white coats

The University of Queensland Medical School – Ochsner Health (UQ-Ochsner) honored its doctors-in-training on Saturday, January 11 at its 15th annual White Coat Ceremony, a rite of passage for medical students held to emphasize the importance of compassionate patient care from the start of medical training. During the event, 88 physicians-in-training received their white coats and were honored with Humanism in Medicine pins – a visual symbol displayed on the lapel of each white coat to remind students to keep empathy at the center of clinical practice.

Rachel Calix, MD, a neuro-ophthalmologist at Ochsner and graduate of the UQ-Ochsner program, served as the keynote speaker. Dr. Calix, who has been on staff at Ochsner since September 2020, completed her internship at Ochsner and her residency at Yale New Haven Hospital in Connecticut. She completed her fellowship in neuro-ophthalmology at New York University Medical Center.

The ceremony concluded with a recitation of the UQ-Ochsner Oath, which serves as the official start to the second phase of the UQ-Ochsner Medical Degree program focused on clinical experiences.

“At The University of Queensland Medical School – Ochsner Health, we are proud to carry the tradition of the white coat ceremony, symbolizing a fundamental belief in a caring, professional medical system,” said Ronald Amedee, MD, professor at The University of Queensland Medical School and director of UQ-Ochsner. “We hope that our patients and community members will see a ‘cloak of compassion’ when they encounter our physicians-in-training, and we are proud to support this momentous occasion as our students continue their journeys to become physicians.”

Before the White Coat Ceremony, UQ-Ochsner officials held a welcoming reception for incoming third year students and their families. During the event, Ochsner officials greeted medical students transitioning from Australia to New Orleans for their third year of medical education, and current fourth year students led campus tours for their new classmates.

Medical students from UQ-Ochsner who receive their white coats are encouraged to participate in community projects facilitated by the Ochsner Medical Student Association (OMSA), a student advocacy organization. Students volunteer with programs such as the New Orleans Area Habitat for Humanity, an organization aiming to make homeownership more attainable and revitalize communities, and Walk With a Future Doc, a national non-profit that encourages healthy physical activity in people of all ages. Students also volunteer with The Miracle League, which provides an opportunity for children with disabilities to participate in sports, and the UQ STAR mentorship program, through which medical students mentor a select cohort of high school seniors by teaching clinical examination skills and other knowledge.

UQ-Ochsner MD students spend their first two years of the program in Brisbane, Australia. During their third and fourth years, they gain hands-on clinical practice at Ochsner Health. For more information visit https://ochsner.uq.edu.au/.